The Story of the Selma Voting Rights Marches in Photographs (The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs)

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a momentous victory for civil rights activists. But one major obstacle remained in the path toward equal rights for African Americans: the right to vote. In the South, segregationists prevented African Americans from voting. Civil rights leaders believed it was time for strong action and chose Selma, Alabama, as the rallying point. There, the marches and protests captured the nation’s attention. Through gripping primary source photographs, author David Aretha explores this important time in American history.

The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs series offers relatively short, fully illustrated introductions to major events of the 1950s and 1960s that furthered the cause of justice for African Americans, particularly in the South. While longer books on the movement (often cited in the appended bibliographies here) offer more complete accounts of what happened, Aretha’s clearly written, succinct texts introduce significant individuals, follow major actions chronologically, place events within their social context, and comment on their long-term significance. Quotes from participants are used to good effect. Throughout the books, well-captioned photographs (usually black-and-white news photos) introduce the participants and add you-are-there immediacy to the historical account as it unfolds. Selma recalls the dramatic repercussions in Selma when demonstrators marched for voting rights. Well-focused, useful books for students researching the civil rights movement in mid-twentieth-century America. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan